Battlefield 3

When most people outside of the gaming community think of shooters, they usually think of Call of Duty because it is one of the biggest gaming titles. However, Battlefield has made a name for itself with the release of Battlefield 3, showing its graphics, vehicles, huge maps and massive destruction. This time around, Battlefield is giving Call of Duty a run for its money.

Battlefield 3, with its more than 100 awards, has taken the first person shooter genre to a whole new level. It deserves to be nominated for awards for best graphics, best action game, best online multiplayer and best first person shooter. With the Frostbite 2 engine, the game has added something that no other game can compare to. Frostbite 2 allows more believable behaviour than ever before in shooters. The destruction that Frostbite 2 allows has added some much to the game and is one of the best parts.

Whether it’s hiding behind a cement block or in a building, you will never feel safe. The cement will chip off and the build could collapse on you before you have time to get out. Walls are constantly getting blown sky high and towers crumble to the ground. Most of Battlefield 3′s environments are destructible, creating a different gameplay experience every time.

When people look at most games, the campaign is a big deciding factor. The Battlefield 3 campaign was obviously not the focus on the game. If they left it out of the end product, the game could have been even better. The campaign was ruined by the physical lighting of the campaign being so dark and if you turn up the brightness, it just washes out the colour.

The storyline, characters and set-pieces are not that great, the entertainment factor was pretty low and the whole campaign felt predictable. Think of it this way – if it was a movie, it would have sucked. From beginning to end, it was a disappointment. Battlefield: Bad Company had a pretty good campaign, by comparison. When I played Battlefield 3′s campaign, I had to stop so much and play the multiplayer so I could get through the campaign, just so I could beat it. I don’t want to give anything specific away in the campaign, though, so if you do decide to play it, be ready for a less than average campaign.

If the attention to detail, unparalleled destruction and amazing graphics doesn’t attract you to this game, and you’re done with the campaign, then the sheer fun of its multiplayer will draw you back in. You’ll be able to experience flying jets and helicopters, driving tanks, boats and jeeps, blowing people to bits with C4 and 50MM tank rounds, having dog fights, and just plain old shooting people with its wide selection of guns, balanced classes and customization for almost all of the weapons.

DICE has estimated that it would take 100 hours to unlock everything, but I have 175 hours and still have a ton of metals to unlock. Every game is different from any other played before with the ability to destroy things and play different classes, use different guns, different players, using different vehicles and trying new strategies. The focus of the game was clearly on perfecting the multiplayer and they did an excellent job on it.

Overall, Battlefield has made a name for itself and has surpassed Call of Duty, the old best first person shooter. I can’t wait for the release of the expansion packs (2 have been released) and I hope that in the future of all gaming, every game tries to beat the sheer epicness of Battlefield 3, so that much greater games will come out. Battlefield 3 has set the bar higher for action games than ever before, and I hope to see DICE improve and expand beyond their success here.